The present invention relates to bag dispensing systems, and particularly to a bag and system for dispensing thermoplastic bags or the like from a stack of bags. The present system is configured for point of use dispensing to a customer, such as in the produce section of a grocery store or market.
The preferred, exemplary embodiment of the present system teaches a free standing bag dispensing stand configured to hold at least a single pack of produce bags, but which may include as many as four or more produce bag packs of equal or different sizes. Each bag pack is dispensed from a station which includes an underlying, angled bag pack support, configured to provide optimal support for the user in opening and removing the bag to be dispensed from the bag pack.
A further component of the present system is a unique cover which is pivotally affixed to the bag rack and rests upon the exposed side of the bag pack to be dispensed, the cover having a base configured to engage the lower portion of the bag pack, and first and second support members formed an open space therebetween for the dispensing of bags therethrough, the opening configured to provide optimal dispensing of the bags while maintaining the remaining bags in a uniform bag pack. The cover may include at its base advertising, and to this end may include a pocket or retaining means for allowing the placement of notices, advertising thereupon, or holding means for allowing the dispensing of coupons or bag ties therefrom. The cover not only facilitates uniform dispensing of bags from the pack, but also holds the pack down when the system is used in windy conditions.
Produce bags are dispensed directly to customers at produce counters or the like, where the customer can bag the produce as it is chosen for purchase. A common problem with dispensing produce bags is providing the bag to the consumer in a convenient, simple, and reliable fashion. Further considerations relate to ease of replenishing the supply, uniformity of dispensing, ease of opening, and providing closure means such as bag ties or the like. Prior art patents have contemplated various dispensers for produce bags, including rolls of unfolded or folded bags, dispensing boxes, and stands, which may be wall mounted for free standing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,833 issued 1998 teaches a free standing plastic bag dispenser for dispensing packs of produce bags or the like, wherein the bag packs are hung on folded plastic tab members and supported by a single, wide, medially situated hook (18A). A horizontally situated backing bar (16) for maintaining the packs xe2x80x9cin a substantially planar condition which is pleasing to the eyexe2x80x9d. FIG. 8 illustrates a bag pack having a perforated tab which is heat sealed at insertion points (22e), the tab having formed therein first and second apertures (27) for receiving first and second support hooks (18xe2x80x2).
While the prior art has contemplated a free standing produce bag stand for dispensing individual bags from a pack of produce bags, it would appear that the prior art has failed to teach a produce bag dispensing system which includes an angled medial support member to aid in removing the top most bag from the stack.
Unlike the prior art, the present invention provides a bag dispenser system which is comparatively strong and reliable, while being inexpensive to manufacture, requiring little in the way of custom manufacturing equipment, while being consistent in performance and quality.
Prior art systems for produce bag dispensers for dispensing individual bags from a pack of bags are found to have shortcomings relating to the expense of manufacture and the ease of use. Specialized tabs for supporting the bag packs add material and labor costs to the product, as well as requiring specialized racks for holding the packs. Hanging the bag pack presents additional problems in dispensing the top most bag, as the hanging pack lacks support, and a user pressing against the top most bag in an attempt to retrieve same must pinch and grab the bag to pull it, as applying pressure to the bag simply results in the bag pack being pushed back. When the user must pinch and grab the bag, all to often more than one bag at a time is dispensed, and the additional bags often end up on the floor, resulting in waste and a potential safety hazard.
What is therefore required is a bag rack which is provides a stable platform for the dispensing of produce bags, so that a user may easily and with little instruction dispense a single, top bag from the pack.
The present invention provides the stability lacking in the prior art by adding an angled support member situated below the upper portion of the bag packs, the support member providing a stable platform upon which a user may apply pressure to the top bag of the pack, and pulling toward the user, the bag is dispensed without the necessity of pinching the bag pack and pulling the pack toward the user, which, as above disclosed, can result in more than one bag being dispensed.
In order to further aid dispensing of the top most bag from the bag pack, a cover having some mass is provided to provide a weighted top layer over the bag pack, the cover forming a dispensing area which guides the user to the optimal portion of the bag for dispensing same, wherein the user contacts the top most bag within the confines of the aperture formed in the cover, and, by pressing down upon the top most bag and directing said pressure toward the consumer, the bag pack is supported by the underlying support member, and the top most bag is detached from the pack and dispensed through the aperture to the customer consistently as a single bag with relative reliability and ease. The cover has the additional purpose of providing pressure upon the side edges and bottom of the bag pack, which in cooperation with the upper portion which engages the rack, stabilizes the bag stack on the rack to prevent the bag pack from blowing in wind, while securing the bag pack in a flat, uniform fashion. The downward pressure of the cover further facilitates the dispensing of a single bag from the bag stack at a time, preventing waste.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved system for dispensing individual thermoplastic bags or the like.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a perforated, solid fused tab having a first and second handle support apertures or slits formed therein for accepting first and second support hooks or support members on the rack.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a bag dispensing system which requires little significant equipment modification, while providing a consistent quality, strong and aesthetically acceptable product.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a bag rack which includes a medial support member for providing angled support of the dispensing area of the pack.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cover configured to be used with the bag pack and rack of the present invention, wherein the support cover has formed therethrough a dispensing aperture configured to guide the user to the optimal portion of the top bag for dispensing from the bag rack.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a cover which protects the bag pack while maintaining the bag pack in a flat, uniform, fashion even under windy conditions.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bag pack which is easily loaded upon a rack, providing a consistent and reliable dispenser for produce bags or the like.